Well holy heck my abs are SORE!
I’ve been practicing Inferno Hot Pilates, and I spent the entire weekend a few weeks ago at the teacher training program at Bikram Yoga Boston.
WOW — what an experience!
Sweating and learning and visualizing and growing and connecting with an awesome group of yogis and fitness peeps. Honestly, what could be better?! The workouts challenged me in ways that I had never experienced, and I learned so much about where my strengths (and weaknesses) are.
And to be totally honest, I didn’t expect to love the hot pilates so much. Obviously anyone who knows me knows I’m obsessed (in a good way!) with Bikram Yoga. I love that the 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises give you a great workout but at the same time are therapeutic. This practice has been a major part of my life – heck it’s how I earn a living! – for over ten years.
So another modality of sweating? Hmmmm….
You know, all of my Bikram Yogi friends who have been practicing the Inferno Hot Pilates kept telling me how awesome the workout is and how much it complements Bikram Yoga. For months. It’s all I heard about! I shrugged it off the first dozen times and told myself (and them!) “I wouldn’t like it” and “that’s not for me” and “I don’t need it.”
Then, after getting off the phone with another studio owner friend and hearing how her sciatica had completely cleared up from practicing Bikram Yoga and Inferno Hot Pilates, I decided I needed to give it a chance. Here were these Bikram Yoga teachers, many of whom I’ve known for years and respect immensely, singing the praises of this modality. I just couldn’t ignore it any longer. I had to experience it for myself.
And then I realized why I had been so hesitatnt about trying something new in the first place. This might sound ridiculous, but I thought that loving another form of exercise or sweating would take away from the love and passion I have for Bikram Yoga.
Ok, not might sound ridiculous – straight up is ridiculous.
It’s like having more than one kid: you love the first one sooooo much and you wonder how you’ll ever love another one as much as the first but then you do! And that love just breeds more love.
After my training weekend in Boston, I had fallen completely in love with the Inferno Hot Pilates and at the same time had a new appreciation and love for Bikram Yoga. It’s like coming home from the hospital with the new baby and seeing your toddler… so much love for both.
So have you heard about Inferno Hot Pilates? Aside from this post of course 😉
It’s been around since 2012-ish, created by a woman named Gabriella Walters whose studio is in Las Vegas. Gabi is awesome – so strong (physically and mentally!), and I learned so much from her at my training.
If you’re new to Inferno Hot Pilates or even a little intrigued, this post is for you!
Psst! Before reading more, if you know you’re interested in this stuff and want updates on IHP, sign up here!
Me with fellow studio owners Robin (True Bikram Yoga in Conn.) and Sam (Hot Yoga Auburn in Mass.)
1. IHP is a great complement to Bikram Yoga and vice versa
If you hang around in Bikram Yoga circles, you’ve likely heard the phrase above thrown around by IHP fans. I sure did. But I couldn’t quite understand how another modality would complement Bikram Yoga. After all, what does IHP have that Bikram Yoga does not?
First and foremost, let me be clear that what makes IHP great doesn’t mean Bikram Yoga is not. The two styles of moving/exercising/healing/strengthening just work really well together.
See, IHP targets areas of the body that we don’t spend much time strengthening in Bikram Yoga, most noticeably for me the arms, upper body, abs, and glutes.
As a woman who doesn’t have much upper body strength to begin with, this is super appealing. The New York Times lays out the importance of being able to do a push up so perfectly in this article, and I honestly cannot even do one. Because frankly, I never practice them. Yet!
Practice makes permanent, you know? So practicing upper body strengthening exercises in IHP will lead to – you guessed it – upper body strength.
Now, having strong abs and glutes does wonders for supporting that healthy spine we work so much on in Bikram Yoga.
And of course, having flexibility from your Bikram Yoga practice allows you the mobility to perform many of the exerices in IHP with precision and understanding. I could go on and on about this point, but the basic thing to remember is that where one modality leaves off the other picks up.
2. It’s hot, but not too hot
95 degrees and 40% humidity to be exact. I know, I know! I can hear all your teeth chattering as you Bikram Yogis read that!
But because there’s a bit more moving around, the temperature actually works. Trust me, you will sweat – A LOT – and any hotter than 95 degrees would feel too hot.
3. IHP is high intensity, low impact
Hallelujah! The heat makes the workout high intensity, and your heart rate really does get up there. The sets of exercises are like interval training and you get a great cardio effect like running would give. BUT – and this is a big but – it’s low impact. Your joints are thanking you! This is actually really similar to Bikram Yoga! You know how you can get your heart rate wicked high after a couple sets of Balancing Stick, but your joints stay happy because there’s no jumping or hard landing? This is the exact same principle in IHP.
4. Pilates Principles
If you’re thinking this is a reformer class, it’s not. IHP is a high intensity interval training (HIIT) class based on Pilates Principles. So many of the exercises (I keep wanting to call them postures!) require you to contract and engage small, specific muscles (hello core and pelvic floor), but it’s not a traditional “Pilates” class if that’s what you’re expecting.
5. Music, Variation, and a Killer Workout
Yes, this class is done to high-energy, fun music! It’s so different from Bikram Yoga, and I love that. There’s no confusion about what’s what. With IHP, the workouts and the music change so it’s not the same series of exercises each and every time. You can vary the workout depending on your own limitations as well; if you have an injury or need to modify something there are plenty of modifications available.
But no matter what, you get an incredible, heart-pumping, sweat-dripping workout! You burn a bazillion (yes, bazillion) calories, and you create the after burn. That’s basically your body continuing to burn calories well after the workout is done just to get your systems back to normal. It sounds intense but it actually feels really cool!
6. It’s a one hour class
Max. I literally felt like the class was 5 minutes long since I’m so used to being in the hot room for the 90 minute Bikram Yoga class. You basically work your butt off for 60 minutes and then you’re done, good to go. Unless of course you end up staying for the yoga class afterwards 😉
Alright! The above 6 points cover the basics.
What questions do you have? Does this seem like something you would enjoy?
Bikram Yogis who practice – what do you love about IHP? Lemme know below!
Remember! To get more updates on Inferno Hot Pilates related stuff, sign up here!
This is Gabi and me at the teacher training in Boston 🙂
